In this issue, Leia and her accomplice Evaan begin seeking out and gathering up the remaining Alderaanians. While they are doing this, Leia has flashbacks to discussions she had with her father before the destruction of their home planet. In one of these scenes, her father explains what is important about their culture.
The galaxy knows Alderaan as “The Planet of Beauty.” Nature, poetry, philosophy, art couture, cuisine—we freely share with all. But the temptation to belligerence can never be erased. Our ruler—one day, you—must struggle to keep the culture focused on creativity, love, and life. Whatever happens, Leia… you must keep Alderaan alive.
What I love about this passage is that it emphasizes how critical art is in defining a culture. When I see the rampant cuts to the arts in our present education system, it saddens me because I know that this is detrimental to the advancement of our society. As a geek and nerd, I appreciate science and technology, but science and technology without beauty and art is something cold and lifeless. There must be both for a culture to thrive.
Stuff Jeff Reads 
I totally agree with you here, Jeff. When I lived in America, the culture was so subtle that sometimes I forgot that it was there. Living in Japan has really made me see how vital a thriving cultural community is to any country or society.
Hi Alex. I confess that I am somewhat envious. It must have been quite an experience to be immersed in the culture like that. Curious, are you looking forward to the change or sad to leave?
A little bit of both. I think I’ve experienced all I can reasonably “absorb” here with my financial and time limitations, and am excited for a new adventure (and many more, I hope!), but I will also be sad… because I doubt I will ever have THIS experience again… but I guess that’s just part of moving on and upwards. We have to leave material, and experience, behind to get something new.
Thanks for sharing those words of wisdom, Alex. I was recently laid off from my job, where I’d worked for a very long time. But I have a third interview with a company scheduled for next week, so it looks promising. As sad as I was to leave the job and my old colleagues, the prospect of learning new things and broadening my writing experiences is exciting.
Cheers!
Jeff
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that! 😦 I hope the application process is short and prosperous!
🙂 It’s fine! I have confidence and faith. Plus, I’d like to think I’m a pretty good writer 😉
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!